Search This Blog

SURVEY: Road warriors would extend business trips for leisure, given the right incentives

A new survey shows that three out of four U.S. business travelers would prolong a work-related trip by adding some leisure days if a hotel offered a discount or additional nights to encourage staying on.
The online survey of 2,000 American consumers by COLLOQUY, a leading provider of loyalty marketing research, also showed that the same percentage of road warrior business travelers, 76 percent, would extend a trip for leisure if a hotel offered the chance to have a friend or family member join at a discounted rate.

The extended-stay incentive insights are part of a broader survey in which COLLOQUY asked 2,000 Americans nationwide about travel habits, new technology, social media and loyalty rewards. The complete survey results are analyzed in the report Travel and Loyalty: On a Journey Together. The report subtitle is Want to Capture Today’s Traveler Spend? Offer Personalized Rewards, Thoughtful and Next-Level Mobile Technology and Frictionless Customer Experiences.

“There’s tremendous potential to generate additional revenue from business travelers by encouraging them to stay for a leisure component,” Jeff Berry, COLLOQUY’s editor in chief and author of the travel report, said. “They’re open to the idea; the trick is creating an incentive for them to add more personal time.”

COLLOQUY’s travel habits research also includes a look at how millennial consumers prefer to travel, which was also the topic of an April article published on TheTravelPro.

Born between 1981 and 1997, the key demographic is significantly more attracted to destinations with cultural or historical significance than the general traveling public (76 percent vs. 63 percent). Of millennials, 58 percent prefer large metropolitan areas compared to 45 percent of the general public. Access to adventures like scuba diving and hiking are also higher on their lists, at 59 percent compared to 45 percent, as are festivals or regional events (66 percent vs. 49 percent).

The survey also reveals other key findings.

Travelers rely on mobile devices at home, on the road

Nearly three out of four Americans - 74 percent - said having a unique experience is the most important reason for taking a vacation, topping rest and relaxation at 69 percent. Men placed more importance on vacationing for R&R than women (72 percent vs 67 percent).

Whether at home or on the road, travelers rely on their mobile devices. Seventy-three percent said they tap mobile devices to check hotel reservation details, while 71 percent use mobile devices to navigate a downtown area, 66 percent use it to find attractions and 54 percent use it to search phrases in local languages.

Visit my main page at TheTravelPro.us for more news, reviews, and personal observations on the world of upmarket travel.

Experienced travelers know the benefits that come from traveling Business or First Class, particularly on long flights. More space to work or stretch out, better food and better treatment are but a few of the advantages. But passengers who travel in those upmarket cabins aboard U.A.E.-based Emirates enjoy some additional perks including complimentary chauffeur-driven transportation at both ends of their flight.

Perhaps you've had the experience of going to a restaurant you've heard about - maybe for years - only to find out its glory days are long gone and it's living on its reputation. That is decidedly not the case with Canlis.